Cyber church: Technology can help, hinder worship

Religions today appear to be embracing modern technology in the ways they worship and spread the gospel.

But it also appears they all set limits on the use of new technology to preserve the ancient aims of reverence, spirituality and brotherhood.

At a Catholic-sponsored 21-mile Walk for Christ last spring by St. Henry Church in Tremonton, Box Elder County, cell phones were prohibited for all participants because they were viewed as a distraction to the meditation aspects of the activity.

Monica Howa-Johnson, director of communications for the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, said the policy of the Rev. Monsignor J. Terrence Fitzgerald of the Salt Lake Diocesan Offices/Pastoral Center is to use technology as a tool. He asks that cell phones be turned off during meetings or interviews.

Howa-Johnson said the Rev. Fitzgerald stresses that communications should not be done solely through e-mail, but that personal, face-to-face conversations are important.

"Technology should not infringe on relationships" is also one of the Rev. Fitzgerald's teachings.

Many churches use the Internet extensively today to spread their message to communicate better with their members. Some sermons are also found online to give those who aren't churchgoers a chance at hearing a minister's message.

For example, the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake now broadcasts Sunday mass on the Web.

The Diocese has its own Web site at www.utahcatholicdiocese.org. Directories, outreach, education and a Catholic response to "The Da Vinci Code" are all contained therein.

"It depends on how you use it," Richard Wolf, an elder in the North Salt Lake congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, said of today's modern technology — iPods, cell phones, personal digital assistants and other gadgets.

He said Witnesses use technology for the purpose of printing materials and spreading the word.

"A lot of times, cell phones are a distraction," he said. "But you can set it on vibrate. You can be reasonable about it. ... You have to be courteous of your neighbors."

He also said church members — especially teenagers — have at times text-messaged friends during services — and that's another possible distraction.

Witnesses on rare occasion use PowerPoint media presentations for leadership but never for worship services.